Star Fox: Outlander
by RainbowKandiKorn22
Summary: Takes place 1 year after Assault. The whole Lylat system is recovering from the war. When the team goes to Titania, Falco stays behind for a while. But little does he know he could be there longer than he expected... Rated T for blood and violence, gets a little intense in the first chapter, but that's about it. Contains POV from an OC.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Star Fox. Star Fox belongs to Nintendo. I own Heather Woods, the fancharacter that appears later on in the fanfic. No copyright infringement is intended. You know the drill. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!****  
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**OH WAIT. I forgot to tell you: Since I don't consider Star Fox Command to be canon (it's been implied that it isn't canon, and the creators even admitted that none of the endings were canon), I won't be including anything from that game, except for the fact that Peppy has a daughter. Flame me if you want about this, I really don't care. It's my opinion and I'm sticking with it until Star Fox Command is actually confirmed to be canon. **

**Sorry to make you wait! Enjoy!**

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**Star Fox: Outlander- Chapter 1**

Lylat's light shone down onto the hot red sands of Titania. However, it was not silent. Four starships sped across the sky, firing lasers at enemy fighters.

In the center of the triangle-like formation was Fox McCloud, the leader of the Star Fox team.

Flanking his left was his best friend and ace pilot, Falco Lombardi.

On his right was Krystal, the team's telepath.

Flying behind Fox's Arwing was Slippy Toad, the mechanic.

Since the Aparoid War, which had happened at least a year ago, the team had been residing on Corneria. They had recieved enough money to build a new Great Fox, and still have enough money left over for themselves. They worked with engineers and mechanics from all over the place to rebuild the Great Fox. They had worked almost nonstop on the new Great Fox for the past 11 months, and when it was finally finished, the StarFox team's first order of business was to patrol the many planets in the Lylat system, to make sure the planets were recovering from the Aparoid attack. They had also given some of their leftover money to help Corneria recover from Aparoid attack.

"Fox! Get this guy off me!"

Falco's thoughts were inturrupted when Slippy's distressed voice rang through the communication system. He rolled his eyes. _Crazy frog-boy, _he thought. _Can't protect himself. _

Falco watched as Fox shot the enemy fighters down.

"Thanks Fox!" Slippy said, a grateful look in his eyes.

"You seriously need to learn how to defend yourself, Slippy. One day no one will be there to save your hide!" Falco snapped.

Slippy's face fell, but then looked up angrily. "Shut your beak, birdbrain!"

Falco rolled his eyes. Slippy needed to think of better insults rather than "birdbrain".

"We're heading out. All aircraft report!" Fox said over the comm.

"I'm doing fine," Krystal said calmly.

"Nothing to report here!" Slippy reported.

Falco was about to respond, when movement caught the corner of his eye. He looked out the window of his Arwing, and he spotted a girl, writhing in pain. Her long fluffy tail was caught in... something, but Falco wasn't sure what it was.

_She shouldn't be out here, _he thought. _It's too dangerous to be out here on your own. _

He thought for a while. He wasn't sure whether he should go down there and help her or not. She was a stranger, he didn't even know if she was good or bad. Then again, maybe helping someone would get him more admired than he already was, which wasn't much.

"Fox," he finally said over the communicator. "I'm going down to the ground to take care of something. Go on without me and don't follow me."

Fox's face appeared on the transmission screen. "You can't be serious!" Fox shouted. "It's too dangerous down there!"

"I've already made up my mind, Fox!" he snapped. "I'm going down and you can't stop me! I'll be back at 10 o'clock or something."

Falco searched for a place to land his Arwing, finding a place near the hills.

"Falco?"

"What now?" Falco said impatiently.

"Be careful, okay? I don't need someone getting injured."

Falco shook his head. "Not a problem, Foxie!"

Falco landed and exited his Arwing, taking a blaster with him. He slowly approached the girl, who was still struggling to free herself. Upon closer inspection, Falco saw it was some kind of steel jaw trap. **(A/N: If you really want to know, the girl is caught in a bear trap. Not the big tube things, but the steel jaw traps. Just going to run that by you all.)**

The girl wasn't young, but she wasn't old, either. Falco guessed she was somewhere in her mid-twenties. She had long brown hair that was tied into a braid and light brown fur. She was wearing a black t-shirt beneath a hide vest, torn blue jeans and sandals. From what Falco could see of her face, she had a white muzzle, and a mask of dark brown fur around her eyes. _Probably a ferret, _Falco guessed.

The girl's eyes were shut tight, and she was thrashing, her tail mangled from the struggling.

Falco tried to pry the trap open, but the girl was moving too much for him to do much.

Eventually, he snapped. "Quit moving around! You'll only make it worse than it already is!"

The girl jumped, craning her neck around to stare Falco in the face. Her dark blue eyes were full of fear and pain.

Falco didn't regret what he said. "Just sit still so I can get you out of here!"

The girl narrowed her eyes, and turned back around.

She stopped thrashing, and Falco took another go at the trap. It was clamped too tightly around her tail. The girl wouldn't be getting out of here with her tail.

Laser fire landed just inches away from the two of them. Falco looked up and saw enemy fighters shooting at the two of them. Falco took the plasma cannon that was strapped to his back and fired at them, not wasting a single shot. The fighters went down instantly, exploding in the distance.

The girl looked at Falco, gratitude filling her gaze.

"I didn't do that to save you," Falco responded coldly. "I did that to make my job easier."

The girl rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," Falco continued. "This thing doesn't seem to want you to go. It's too deeply embedded in your tail for me to be able to open it. I'm going to have to cut your tail off."

The girl looked at him with alarm, her eyes wide.

"Don't look at me like that!" he snapped. "I have to do this! You know that as well as I do!"

He then marked the area where he planned to cut her tail with his hand, which would leave her with a tail that was a little bit longer than a stub.

"I'm going to cut it here," he told the girl, who was still looking at him with shock. "I'm not going to ask you if that's okay, because you really don't have a choice."

The girl looked sad... a single tear escaped her eyes, landing on the dusty ground.

Falco stared at her for a moment, then sighed with exasperation. "It's going to be okay," he soothed her, still annoyed that she wasn't cooperating well. "I'll do it quick, I promise."

The girl stopped crying, and looked into his eyes. This went on for a while longer, until the girl finally nodded, a determined look in her eyes. She turned her head back around.

"Good," Falco said, and took a sharp knife out of his pocket. He laid the blade carefully on the place where he planned to cut her tail, lifted his wing, and sliced through the flesh and bone of the tail with ease.

Blood spurted out of the fresh wound, staining his jacket. _Oh well, _he thought. _I'm getting a new uniform, anyway. _

He stood up, expecting to be thanked by the girl, but she simply jumped up and ran as fast as she could over the hills.

"You're welcome," Falco grumbled, turning and retreating back to his Arwing.

_I can't believe that chick didn't thank me for saving her, _Falco thought. _I guess I should be glad that she's okay. Even though she'll probably lose too much blood to survive until tomorrow. _

Just as Falco was about to enter his Arwing, a laser blasted the ship, destroying one of the wings.

"Oh come on!" Falco exclaimed. He turned around, and his eyes widened. "Oh my go-"

His words were cut off as he was snatched into the air, blacking out.

~o~o~o~o~

The girl crouched down, panting. She had made it safely over the hills, away from the avian.

_I couldn't thank him! I hardly even know him!_

She suddenly remembered her bleeding tail, which felt as though it were on fire, and she turned around. It was dripping with blood.

She reached into her right pocket, and pulled out a small bag labeled "Healing Dust". She remembered what that sorceress told her.

_Just sprinkle this dust over a wound, and in less than five minutes, the wound will be gone. _

"Freaky woman," the girl muttered. She dumped the healing dust onto her tail, making sure to get it all on the wound.

For a moment, nothing happened, except her tail stopped bleeding. _I guess the witch lied about this crap, _she thought.

But then, the skin on her tail began to work its way together, almost as though her skin was sewing itself back together. The skin merged together, leaving a faint scar, which was soon replaced by a thin layer of light brown fur.

_Freaky, _she thought.

She thought back to her rescuer, the blue pheasant.

_He wasn't very nice, _she thought. _But what is it about him... that makes me feel so weird?_

She shook her head.

"You're losing it," she told herself.

She heard a roar, and she spun around. A Goras was rampaging, as usual.

_Wait a second..._

She looked closer, and noticed it was holding something in its claw. It was small compared to the Goras, and it was blue. But that was too familiar a blue...

Her heart stopped for a moment.

_The bird!_

She was about to go and help him, when she stopped. She didn't know this man, she didn't know anything about him, other than the fact that he piloted a starship and carried various weapons of all sorts.

_But then again... that code I always lived by... if someone saves you... you must save them back, to avoid having to repay them later. _

She drew a knife from her pocket. It was given to her by her father when she was 16. He said it was able to cut through everything.

"Time to figure out if he was right!"

She charged into battle, leaping at the Goras, and slicing through the arm that was clutching her rescuer.

The Goras' bony arm snapped, and down it went, dropping the avian in the process.

The girl landed on the ground, her legs feeling sore from the impact. The avian fell through the air. If she didn't catch him now, he surely would die upon hitting the ground.

She leaped and caught the bird in her arms, landing once again hard on the ground. She placed his body on the ground, staring at him.

For a moment, she thought he was dead, but his eyes soon fluttered open, looking dazed.

"Are you alright?" she asked, soon realizing this was the first time she had even spoken to him.

He scowled, and muttered sarcastically, "Just fantastic."

It was then that the girl remembered the Goras. It swatted her away with its claw, catching the bird's right arm. He howled in pain, clutching the wound, which was now bleeding.

The Goras swung again, this time catching his right thigh. He screamed again, then reached for his blaster, and shot at the claw. It took a while, but the claw eventually fell off.

The girl got back up off the ground, and cut another arm off the Goras.

The creature roared, swinging its tail wildly.

Its large chest plate fell off, exposing the bright red core.

The girl flung the knife as hard as she could at the core. It struck, and the Goras exploded, its bones flying everywhere.

The girl panted, and she looked at the avian.

"What, can't defend yourself?" she teased.

He looked at her defiantly. "I can defend myself just fine, thanks."

They were both silent for a moment. The girl broke the silence.

"I guess I should thank you for saving me earlier."

"I guess I should be thankful you saved me just now," he replied.

The bird tried to stand up, but he winced and sat back down.

"Stupid Goras," he muttered. "I can't get anywhere like this."

"I can help," the girl offered. "I can fix you up in no time."

The bird was silent, then reluctantly nodded. "Okay."

The girl helped him up. He draped his left arm over her shoulder. The girl wrapped her arm around his waist, helping him walk.

"What's your name, anyway?" the girl asked.

"Falco. Falco Lombardi," the avian replied. "What's your name?"

The girl was quiet. She didn't know how to respond.

Then she answered, "Heather. My name is Heather Woods."

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**Well? How did you like it? What did you think of Heather? Please tell me how you felt about this fic! Stay tuned for Star Fox: Outlander- Chapter 2!****  
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**If you want to have a clearer picture of Heather, please go to my deviantArt account and search for it. Or you could just go to my profile and find the link to her picture there.**


	2. Chapter 2

**It's about time I posted this chapter! Again, I don't own Star Fox or its characters.**

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**Star Fox: Outlander- Chapter 2**

_22:19 PM, Cornerian Time._

The sandstorm buffeted Heather's eyes, causing her to blink frantically just to see where she was going. Falco was limping at her side, breathing heavily and coughing every time he breathed in sand.

Heather squinted. She could see a forested area up ahead. Most people who would come here might think it were a mirage, but Heather knew it was real.

She walked quickly into the forest, the sandstorm subsiding.

"I never knew there was a forest here," Falco wheezed.

"Not many people do," Heather replied. "They think its either an illusion or they don't come far enough to see it. A long time ago, scientists came here and built a climate control center. They wanted to turn Titania into a forest planet, but it malfunctioned and only turned a small area of the planet into a forest."

Falco nodded, then suddenly stumbled, and fainted. Heather propped him up. _He must've passed out from exhaustion and blood loss, _Heather thought.

She hoisted him over her shoulder, grunting as she found out he was heavier than he looked.

She continued to walk through the forest, until she finally came to a cave; a gaping hole in the face of an enormous rock. _My home, _she thought.

Heather entered the cave, spotting a spare bed in the far left corner. As much as she wanted to just dump Falco on the bed without giving any thought if he'd be okay, she gently placed him on the bed. She pressed her ear against his chest. His heartbeat was slow, and his breathing was shallow.

She took a small bottle filled with green fluid down from one of the rock shelves on the walls, removed the cork, and poured a decent amount of the viscous liquid into his mouth.

He swallowed, and began to splutter and cough.

"The heck was that for?!" he demanded.

"It was for the good of your health," Heather retorted. "Now shut up and let me tend to your wounds."

She washed the wounds gently with a cloth and water, ignoring his winces.

"Now this next procedure will probably sting, so don't say I didn't warn you."

She took a bottle filled to the brim with thick blue liquid down from the shelf, poured some of it into her hand, and slathered it on the wound on his arm.

"Ow!" Falco cried, hitting her hand away. "That seriously hurts!"

Heather narrowed her eyes, and wrapped gauze around the wound, clipping it in place. "Stop whining. I have to do the same thing on your leg, anyway. Now sit still."

She saw Falco's jaw tighten when she did the same thing to his leg wound. "Sorry about your uniform, by the way."

"That's okay," Falco muttered. "I'm getting a new one anyway."

"One that looks exactly the same?"

"Maybe," he replied, looking away.

They were quiet for a moment, when Heather suddenly shivered. "It gets so cold here at night. I'm going to start a fire."

She gathered some dried leaves and branches and left the cave for about five minutes. When she got back, she had gotten several logs and placed them next to a medium-sized hole. She made another circle around that one with stones, arranging them so they would protect the fire from the wind.

She then placed the dry branches and leaves in the center and formed a small cone using this material. She gathered the logs she had collected earlier and made a square around the cone, putting the ends of two logs on the top of the other two. She repeated this process of making the cone and square until she had formed what looked like a pyramid.

Falco was about to ask where she learned all this, when she said, "My father taught me how to make a fire when I was young."

She took a box of matches from one of the shelves on the walls, lighting it and reaching carefully through one of the empty spaces of the pyramid. She burned the inner cone, and the pyramid set on fire. The fire was a safe distance from where the herbs and beds were, so they wouldn't get burnt, and there was a hole in the roof of the cave, where the smoke billowed out.

Heather walked around the fire, then sat down in the bed beside Falco. "Where are you from?"

Falco looked up. "I'm from Corneria. I'm a part of the famous mercenary team, Star Fox."

"Never heard of them," Heather said. "But... I do know of the Cornerian Army."

Falco cocked his head. "How have you heard of the Cornerian Army, but not Star Fox?"

Heather stared at him sadly. "The Cornerian Army is what brought me here."

Falco nodded slowly, urging her to go on.

"I was born on Corneria. I had gone to the Cornerian Flight Academy to become a pilot, at the same time my mother decided to teach me how to use medicines and stuff like that," she began. "I was kicked out of the Academy when I was 15, because I was letting my grades slip and didn't do anything about it. So instead of becoming a pilot, I decided to become a medic. But after the Lylat Wars, when I was 17, a murder was comitted, and I was the prime suspect for being around the scene of the crime when the murder happened. I expected my parents to back me up, but they only confirmed the rumours, and the Army took me here, to Titania, not expecting me to survive."

Falco nodded drowsily. Heather narrowed her eyes. "Am I boring you?"

"A little," the avian replied. "But it's mostly because I'm exhausted. You can go on."

"Anyway," Heather continued. "I found this place, and some food, and I decided to make it my home. After 8 years, the Cornerian Army found the true culprit, or _culprits, _and as it turns out they were my parents. I found out they were killed, and the Army came back to get me. But since I was exiled here, I've begun to hate other people, whether they're good or not. So when they came for me, I hid and didn't come out until they left. Then about 4 months before I met you, a sorceress came and gave me all these healing goods, so after that I continued to work on becoming a medic."

"Is that all?" Falco asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, that's about it," Heather replied. "And... uh, I'll admit, I actually thought about whether I should have saved you or not before I actually did."

"Well, I sort of did the same," Falco admitted. "Was that because of your hatred of other people?"

Heather nodded slowly.

"You know, you shouldn't just dish out your hate to everyone just because of what two people did. I mean, sure they were your parents, but that doesn't mean that everyone will be just like them."

"I guess you're right," Heather said. She tossed Falco a fluffy tan colored blanket. "You should get some sleep," she said, noting the dark sky outside. "It's pretty late."

"Yeah, oh and Heather?"

Heather turned her head to face him.

"Thanks."

She smiled. "No problem."

Falco turned his back to her and remembered he had told Fox and the others he'd have been back. He rolled his sleeve down, revealing a metal cuff. He pressed a button on it, hearing a faint beeping sound. Falco smiled and shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

Heather stared at Falco for a moment. His side rose and fell evenly with every breath, and every now and then he'd twitch.

_What am I doing?_ Heather shook her head to clear her thoughts. _I can't be in love with him! Besides, even if we ever did get into a relationship it'd never work out!_

Heather groaned and fell back in the bed, staring up at the ceiling of the cave. Images of Falco continued to flash in her mind. His cocky smile, his bright blue eyes... but it wasn't just that... there was something else that made her like him like this...

_You crazy fangirl, _Heather thought. _Go to sleep. _

Remembering the fire, she looked over at it. It was already dying out. It'd probably be gone by morning.

Heather wrapped the blanket tighter around her body. She looked over at Falco's sleeping figure again.

"Goodnight, Falco," she whispered, and, shutting her eyes, she fell asleep.

~o~o~o~o~

"Where is that crazy bird?" Fox groaned. "He should've been back by now."

"Well, you know Falco," Peppy responded. "Always late, no matter what the occasion."

Fox and Peppy stood in the control room of the Great Fox, staring out the windows for any sign of the avian.

The doors opened, and Slippy raced in, ROB trailing behind.

"We just got a distress signal!" Slippy panted.

Fox leapt up out of his chair. "From where?"

"The distress signal came from Titania," ROB reported in his monotone voice. "It came from Falco."

Fox raced to the controls. "We have to go back!"

"No, Fox!" Peppy grabbed his arm. "We can't go now!"

Fox whipped around, rage flashing in his eyes. "Why the heck not?!"

"For one thing, we don't know what we're up against," Peppy said. "And it'll take a while to get back anyway!"

Fox glared at the rabbit once more, then sighed. "I guess you're right. But we depart for Titania _immediately._"

"Yes, Fox," Peppy said. "We'll be there by 12:00, Cornerian Time."

"Okay."

Fox walked out the door and through the hallway slowly, his hands in his pockets. He opened the door to his room, and flopped down on the bed.

He picked up a photo album on his side table, and flipped through the pages.

Several pictures were of him and his father, others were him with Peppy or his mother.

He finally stopped at a picture of him Falco, when they were at least 13 years old. The two of them held their thumbs up towards the camera, their tongues sticking out.

Fox sighed, putting the album back on the side table. A knock sounded from the other side of his door.

"Come in," Fox called. The door opened, and Krystal's figure stood in the doorway.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently. "I heard your thoughts all the way from my room."

Fox sighed. "Not really. I can't sleep knowing Falco could be in trouble."

Krystal stared at the vulpine, then placed her hand on his shoulder. "Fox, you know as well as I do that Falco is a tough old bird, and can take care of himself. You have to have faith in him."

"But what if he's not okay?" Fox protested. "What if he's dying as we speak?"

The vixen giggled. "You're talking as though Falco's a reckless little child, never thinking before he acts."

"Well he often acts like one."

"Fox, listen. Falco is going to be okay. When we get him tomorrow, you'll see he's fine and ready to get back in the Arwing."

Fox looked up, staring into the vixen's eyes. "I guess you're right. Thanks Krystal."

Krystal smiled, then leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "You're welcome, Fox. You know I'm always here for you."

She stood up and made her way to the door, shutting it behind her.

Fox blushed, then changed into a pair of boxers and a white muscle shirt. Climbing under the covers of the bed, he shut his eyes.

_Falco is going to be okay, _he told himself. _When we go back to get him tomorrow, he'll be fit as a fiddle and will be happy that we found him. _

Fox repeated this in his mind, then slowly drifted off to sleep.

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**Okay three things:**

**One: I realize I may or may not be driving Heather into Sueville. I'm seriously trying to make her seem LESS than a Mary Sue than I already think she is. But hey, at least she's not a sparkly vampire who's beauty is noted in every single paragraph, right? Besides I never really imagined or drew her as being overly attractive. She's pretty enough, I guess, but...**

**And I can't believe I said "fit as a fiddle". Ugh, it just doesn't sound right, but at the same time it does!**

**Two: About the whole canonocity issue with Star Fox Command. I did like the game. But I don't think it's canon. With all these endings, I can't decide on one that I like, except for the Lucy and Krystal ending, but I don't really want to include many things from non-canon games. Maybe I'll mention Lucy once or twice in the fic, but right now I'm not going any farther into this issue XD**

**Three: I won't be able to work on this story OR my Mudpool's Path fanfic as much as I want to. I'm starting my freshman year in high school and want to get a good start. Therefore, I'll be extremely busy. I think. I'm not really sure yet. Not sure how much homework or projects we get.**

**Anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed my fanfic! Stay tuned for Chapter 3! **


	3. Chapter 3

**So far the longest chapter I've written. And yes, the fourth chapter is being written as we speak. Please enjoy!**

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**Star Fox: Outlander- Chapter 3**

_8:34 AM, Cornerian Time_

Heather groaned as she opened her eyes. It was always one painful sleep after the other ever since she arrived here. Every morning she was stiff all over, and she would wake up with an awful headache.

_What I wouldn't give for my bed back at home..._

She shook her head. Those days were gone. The people of Corneria had betrayed her, and she didn't want anything to do with them anymore. They meant nothing to her anymore.

She was soon reminded of Falco who was still resting in the bed beside her. Her fists balled up in fury.

_He's a Cornerian, too, _she thought angrily. _Just like all the rest. He's a traitor just like them. _

She picked up a knife from one of the shelves and made her way over to him slowly, careful not to wake him up. She crouched down, holding the knife to his throat, rage darkening the corners of her vision. A picture of her mother and father flashed in her mind.

_They'll pay for what they did. _

She laid the blade gently against his throat, and she was about to press down when she was thrown into her memories of him. Watching him save her from the enemy fighters, saving him from the Goras, tending to his wounds, telling him about her backstory...

She lifted the knife from his throat and stood back. Falco sighed softly, turning over to face her. His face looked so serene and calm. Heather instantly felt guilty.

_What am I doing? I can't kill him! He saved me!_

Heather felt ashamed that she almost killed him. She hated the fact that she felt this way about Cornerians. She stared at him again. She hadn't disturbed him in any way. If she had ended up driving the knife into his throat, he probably would've died right away. No time to scream, no time to react. Possible instant death.

_I couldn't do that to him, _she thought sadly. She didn't quite trust him yet, but she didn't really feel like killing someone she just met.

Her stomach suddenly growled, and she realized she hadn't eaten for two days. She put the knife in her pocket and stood up, stretching her back and legs. She looked back down at Falco, who was still sleeping peacefully. She looked around, knowing no one would see since she was the only person living on this planet, and bent down to touch her fingers to his cheek.

_I'm so sorry, Falco... for almost killing you. _

She stood back up, hoping he wouldn't wake up, and backed out of the cave. She stared back at the fire pit, where the flames had already gone out. She picked up a handful of dirt and tossed it at the pile of charred logs. If there were any more flames then that would hopefully put them out.

Heather walked through the forest, staring at the odd plants that had grown here. It was very likely that they had grown due to the malfunction, since every time you touched them they'd lash out and bite at you.

_I learned that the hard way, _Heather thought, staring down at an ugly scar on her left arm.

She heard twigs snap, and she turned around. She drew her knife and hid behind a bush. Peeking out from behind it, she spotted a deer grazing. There were two types of animals in the Lylat system, the advanced type, which could walk and talk, and then those that were not so advanced, the ones used for hunting and food.

She smiled to herself. Deer had been one of the only live prey here, along with bugs. They weren't easy to catch, as they required you to kill them quickly and quietly.

_I can simply start another fire to cook it, _she thought.

She leapt out of the bushes, aiming for the deer's neck.

~o~o~o~o~

Heather kicked dirt over the fire she had started a while ago. She was able to kill the deer quickly, and she feasted on its meat. She felt better than she did that morning, that was for sure.

Scattering the burnt branches across the floor of the forest, she turned away from the former fire pit and made her way back to the cave.

She heard a scream, and ran inside. Falco had woken up, and was holding his injured arm, his teeth clenched.

"What's wrong?" Heather asked worriedly.

"I was sleeping on my bad arm...!" Falco broke off as he groaned again, his jaw tightening.

"Let me have a look." Heather pulled his hand away from his arm, gently unwrapping the gauze. The wound beneath the bandages was healing nicely.

"It's just sore," she said. "You must've been sleeping pretty awkwardly."

"You think?"

Heather rolled her eyes. He couldn't go two seconds without making a smart remark.

"Just be glad you're not dead," she tried to joke, remembering what had happened that morning.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Falco muttered, then looked down at his leg. "It doesn't hurt that much."

"Well the wounds weren't that deep in the first place. The Goras must've just wanted to warn you off."

"How that makes any sense I will never know." Falco peered outside. "I sent a distress signal to the rest of my team. They'll probably be here soon."

"Well, in the meantime, let's have you walk a bit," Heather suggested.

"Fine by me." Falco, with Heather's help, stood up, his legs shaking slightly.

"Scared?" Heather teased.

"I'm not scared!" Falco retorted. "My legs hurt, that's all!"

"Sure they do," she said smiling teasingly.

Falco carefully placed his leg in front of the other. When walked using his injured leg, he winced.

"You can do it," Heather urged. "Just don't worry about it."

Falco tried walking again, this time not wincing. He was, however, limping.

"It'll probably take some time before your wounds have fully healed," Heather observed. "Until then, you'll just have to be careful. Just try not to make the limp obvious."

Falco nodded, and limped back over to her. She supported his side, propping him up. Falco looked away.

_He doesn't like to admit he needs help, _Heather thought with amusement.

Just then, loud engine noises sounded from outside. The trees swayed in the wind, which had picked up all of a sudden.

"What is that?" Heather almost shouted over the noise.

"That's my team!" Falco replied. "Come on, I'll bring you out to meet them!"

Heather pulled away from him. He looked back at her, confusion in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I haven't been around anyone in ten years, so I..."

Falco stared at her for a while longer, then smiled. "I understand. But I still want you to meet them."

"But-"

"Remember last night? When I told you that not everyone is going to be like your parents? Well these guys are nothing like them. I'll call you out when I need you."

She stared at him in disbelief, then nodded. "Okay. I'll be waiting."

Falco nodded and limped out of the cave. Heather poked her head out of the entrance, spotting three people waiting for Falco. Two of them were foxes, one a male and the other female. The other one was a male frog.

"Falco!" the male fox exclaimed. "It's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you, too, Fox."

"I knew Falco would be okay!" the frog said. "I just knew it!"

The female fox didn't speak, instead she looked at Falco's arm. "What happened, Falco?"

"Nothing, Krystal," the avian replied. "Nothing at all."

Falco limped forward, wincing.

The vixen gasped. "You're hurt!"

"No, no I'm not! I'm fine!"

"Falco, what happened?" she demanded.

Falco groaned, then explained how he was almost killed by a Goras.

The rest of his team was silent, then the vulpine started shouting. "I told you to be careful!"

"I was careful!"

"If you were so careful you wouldn't have almost gotten killed!"

"Well I wasn't killed, was I?" Falco retorted.

"But someone helped you," the vixen said.

He nodded, and turned to face Heather, who was still peering out the entrance.

"You can come out now," he called.

Heather stood up, part of her screaming to just pretend like nothing happened and hide again. But she ignored it, and walked towards them, standing next to Falco.

"This is Heather," Falco said. "She saved me from the Goras. Heather this is Fox, Slippy and Krystal."

"It's nice to meet you," Heather said shyly.

Fox was still staring angrily at Falco, but then turned to face her.

"Thanks for saving Falco," he said. "Have you had medical experience of any sort?"

"Yes," she replied. "I was training to become a medic on Corneria. During that time I was also attending the Cornerian Flight Academy."

She wondered to herself why she was telling this complete stranger her past, but she realized that she somehow felt calmer with Falco.

"How interesting," Fox mused, then turned his attention to Falco. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, Fox," Falco said, leaving Heather's side to talk quietly with the avian.

Krystal approached Heather, startling the ferret a little.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the vixen's voice was polite.

"Thank you," Heather replied, staring past Krystal to stare at Falco. She still felt the same feeling about him as she had the night before.

"You know, he's not worth it."

Heather snapped out of her thoughts. "What?"

"I know how you feel about him," Krystal folded her arms across her chest.

"How?"

"I'm a telepath, and also you were blushing."

Heather scratched the back of her head nervously, realizing for the first time how knotted and tangled her hair was.

"But like I said, he isn't worth it. He's arrogant, snarky and often comes off as being rude. You could find someone much better."

"I know," Heather replied. "But... without him, I'd have been dead by now. He saved me from several enemy fighters."

"That must be why he left..." Krystal said to herself.

"It's not just that," Heather replied. "When I was taking care of him both last night and this morning... I realized that beneath his bad attitude is kindness. I mean, sure he is a bit of a jerk, but he cares about other people."

Krystal considered this, then smiled. "I guess you're right."

"Oh, and we never had this conversation," Heather said.

Krystal giggled. "Agreed."

The two girls looked up to see that Falco and Fox were finishing their conversation, and Slippy was smiling at Heather.

Falco and Fox turned away from each other.

"Falco tells me that your medical skills are impressive, Heather," Fox began.

Heather blushed. "Th-thank you."

"In fact, for a while now we considered finding a medic for the team. Since you're so skilled in that field, and because you also have basic flying skills, it would be my honor to have you as part of the Star Fox team."

Heather was speechless. Her gaze darted from one member of the team to the other. They all waited wordlessly for her answer.

"Thank you," Heather finally spoke. "I'll take you up on your offer."

"Excellent. You'll come with us now, then?"

Heather nodded. "I'll try not to disappoint you. I haven't used proper medical tools or flown in anything for a long time."

Fox laughed. "I'm sure you'll catch up."

Heather looked up and saw an enormous aircraft hovering down to them. When it got close enough to the ground, a hatch opened. The members of the team filed in, Heather following. She looked back. She didn't have to sleep on the stone floor anymore. She didn't have to wake up stiff every morning anymore. She didn't have to light fires every night, nor did she have to hunt for her food anymore.

_I don't regret anything. _

She followed the rest of the team into the ship. She was finally leaving behind her old life, and starting a new one.

~o~o~o~o~

The Great Fox, as Fox had called it, was very spacious inside. They first arrived at the hangar, which was used for storing the team's Arwings. Falco's Arwing was critically damaged, so it would take a while to repair it.

The soon arrived at the command room, which had a large monitor screen and window. Heather looked around. Sitting in a chair near the window was an elderly-looking rabbit along with a robot.

The rabbit turned around and smiled.

"Hello, team! You're back!"

"Hey, old-timer," Falco said, flashing a cocky smile.

"Good to see you back, Falco," the rabbit looked over at Heather. "Who's this young lady?"

"This is Heather," Fox answered. "We met her on Titania. She's our newest member. She'll be serving as the medic as well as a pilot."

"You didn't consult me first?" the rabbit shook his head. "Well it's nice to see we have a new pilot on the team. My name is Peppy."

Heather smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

"We'll need another Arwing for her, along with a room."

"Don't worry Fox. I thought you'd find another member eventually, so I had another room built while the Great Fox was being reconstructed."

"Reconstructed?" Heather asked. "What do you mean?"

"The first Great Fox was destroyed in a battle last year with these things called Aparoids," Slippy responded. "So we had to build it again."

"It took a pretty long time," Falco added. "I thought we'd never get it finished. Then of course Peppy called in some more engineers and mechanics, and with them we were able to finish it a few weeks ago."

The team continued on their tour of the ship. They showed Heather the training room, where she would learn how to fight on foot and in an Arwing. Heather couldn't wait to start training. She got enough exercise while she was on Titania, but she hadn't flown in any kind of aircraft for a long time.

The team continued with their tour. "This is the dining room," Fox said as they arrived in a medium sized room with a long table and chairs in the middle. The vulpine pointed to a door just across from where they stood. "The kitchen is in that room over there."

Fox also showed Heather the living room, which was where the team would be if they didn't have a mission or if they were there for a movie night.

Finally, he showed Heather her room, which was where she would be staying.

It was small, but it looked cozy. A bed stretched along the left side of the room, with a side table right beside it. On the right was a dresser and vanity. Another door which led to a bathroom was on the left.

"It's not exactly what you would call 'luxiurious', but it's nice enough," Fox said.

Heather shrugged. "It's better than living in a cave. Thanks."

Fox nodded. "You're welcome. We'll need to get you fitted for a uniform, though."

"Alright. I think I'm going to take a shower, so..."

Fox took the hint, and nodded to his teammates, who followed him down the hallway. Krystal approached Heather.

"I have some clothes you can borrow, so that you won't have to wear the same thing every day until you get some new clothes," she offered.

Heather smiled. "Thanks Krystal."

Krystal smiled back. "What are friends for?"

_Friends? _

Heather never really had friends. She'd always been kind of antisocial as a kid, so it felt good to hear someone call her a friend.

Heather opened the door to the bathroom. She turned the shower on and slipped out of her clothes. It felt strange... she hadn't exactly bathed much on Titania, since she prefered to use the water there for drinking. She bathed a couple of times, but never with soap.

_Sure, they had food and knives there, but no freaking soap. _

She finished up with her shower, drying herself off with a towel. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked much better than she did before the shower. Her hair was no longer tangled into a thousand knots and she no longer smelled like dirt.

She wrapped her hair into a towel and stepped out of the bathroom. She noticed that Krystal had left a pile of clothing for her. The pile consisted of a dark violet dress, a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of silk pajamas, sweatpants, a pair of jeans, certain feminine necessities (if you know what I mean) and a t-shirt. Heather never really liked wearing dresses, but this dress just looked too nice to pass up.

She combed and dried her hair, tying it into the usual braid, and got dressed. The dress fell to her knees and showed a bit of her cleavage (not that there was much to be shown), which she didn't exactly like, but the color looked nice on her. She slipped her feet into her sandals and opened the door.

The second she stepped into the hallway, she forgot which way the living room was.

She stared down the right hallway, seeing that it simply led to a dead end.

_Well like I always say, if nothing goes right, go left. _

She walked down the hallway to her left until she reached the second last room. She heard shouting, almost as though there was a fight going on. Heather poked her head into the room and saw Fox and Falco holding controllers, playing video games.

"Hey Heather!" Krystal greeted. "Come to join us?"

"Yep. Thanks for the clothes by the way."

"The chest isn't too big is it? Does it fit alright?" Krystal demanded.

Heather laughed. "It's fine, Krystal. The dress fits perfectly."

Fox and Falco looked up from their game. "You look great, Heather," Fox complimented. Falco nodded in agreement.

"Thanks," Heather said, blushing slightly. She never really liked girls that dressed like this, showing their cleavage, so she almost felt hypocritical wearing the dress.

Sitting down next to Krystal, she watched as the guys played their game. It looked like a fighting game of some sort, like a game she played a long time ago called Mortal Kombat. Falco was losing every match, which caused him to start yelling at Fox, before demanding a rematch. Krystal and Heather found his outbursts quite amusing, and Heather guessed it wouldn't be long before he flipped the coffee table sitting in front of him.

The game was interrupted when Peppy announced it was time for dinner.

"It's about time, too," Falco said. "I'm starving!"

"By the way Heather, what did you eat on Titania?" Slippy asked.

"I had to hunt for my food," Heather replied.

"Seriously?" Fox stared at her as though he didn't believe her.

"Yep. I chased deer. In fact, I was hunting this morning."

"When did you go hunting?" Falco piped up.

"This morning while you were still asleep. Just before you started screaming."

"Oh. Right." Falco looked away, clearly embarassed. Heather mentally kicked herself for that one. That was almost as bad as when she tried to kill him this morning.

Krystal was staring at her, a concerned look on her face.

"It's nothing," she whispered.

"Tell me about it tonight, okay?" Krystal's voice was quiet, too quiet for anyone else to hear.

Heather sighed. "Okay."

The team soon arrived at the dining room, plates set out for them. Heather sat next to Krystal, pulling her chair up closer to the table. Fox sat at one end of the table, with Peppy sitting at the other end. Falco and Slippy sat beside each other, both clearly displeased with the seating arrangement.

The robot, who Krystal said was named R.O.B, set the food down on the table. The aroma of mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables and roast beef filled the air. Everyone stared at the food, practically drooling.

When they finished up their meal, they headed off to their quarters. Fox stopped Heather on the way there, though.

"I thought that since you'd be our medic, you should know where the infirmary is," he explained.

It wasn't that far a walk, in fact it only took about a minute. Fox opened the door, and Heather peeked inside. The walls were white, almost too bright of a white. An examination table was in between two beds, and medical supplies were stacked high on the shelves.

"Do you know how to use any of these?" Fox asked, referring to the medicines.

"I think so. My mother showed me a lot of medicines, and I can remember them well, despite the fact I used them ten years ago."

Fox grinned. "Good. I should probably send Falco down here so you can tend to his wounds."

Fox left the room, appearing five minutes later with Falco.

"This had better be important," Falco grumbled. "I'm tired."

"It won't take too long, Falco," Heather said. "I just have to check your wounds."

The avian rolled his eyes and laid down on one of the beds. Heather removed the gauze on his thigh and arm.

"They look better than they did yesterday," she noted. I'll have to apply some better medication on them though."

She grabbed one of the bottles of cream from the shelves. She remembered using this kind of medication a long time ago, it was supposed to prevent infection. She washed her hands and squirted the cream into them. She rubbed the cream into his wound carefully, trying not to make him suffer too much stinging. Grabbing the roll of gauze from the table, she wrapped it around his arm, clipping it into place.

"That didn't hurt as much as last time, did it?" Heather asked.

"Uh... No, not really."

"Good. That means it's healing."

She moved onto his leg, feeling her temperature rising as she applied it. The last time she had to do this she was fine, so why should it make such a difference now?

"Heather, are you feeling okay? Your cheeks are red."

Heather's ears twitched, and her face turned even redder. "Uh... Y-yeah..."

Falco shrugged, and Heather wrapped the gauze around his thigh. "There. You're all done."

"Great. Can't wait to go to sleep and wake up screaming again," he said sarcastically.

Heather winced. "I'm sorry about embarassing you earlier."

Falco groaned. "It's okay. Just don't do it again."

Heather smirked. "Okay. I think you'll have to sleep here tonight. I don't really want you walking around on an injured leg."

"Alright," Falco said. "Oh, and by the way, how did your tail heal so fast?"

Heather lifted her tail up so she could see it. She hadn't really paid much attention to it since it was cut off, but now it seemed like it was all that could be seen.

"I used something called Healing Dust. The sorceress gave it to me."

Falco shrugged. Heather smiled. "Goodnight, Falco."

"'Night," he said drowsily.

Heather closed the door, making her way to Fox's room. She knocked on his door.

"Come in."

Heather opened the door, seeing Fox getting in his bed.

"Oh hi Heather. How's Falco?"

"He's healing nicely," Heather responded. "I just came by to tell you he's staying in the infirmary overnight."

"That was thoughtful of you," Fox remarked. Heather shrugged.

"It was the least I could do. I'm off to bed. Goodnight."

Heather shut the door behind her, making her way down the hallway to her room. She spotted Krystal hanging out just outside her door.

"There you are!" Krystal exclaimed. "I thought you were in there, just ignoring me!"

"I was in the infirmary taking care of Falco."

Krystal smiled teasingly, then her face was serious again. "So I heard your thoughts on the way to dinner. Why were they so troubled?"

Heather looked around, then whispered, "Come into my room. I'll tell you."

The two girls walked in, Heather shutting the door.

"Alright, spill."

Heather sighed. "I... almost killed Falco this morning. Like literally held a knife to his throat."

Krystal went wide-eyed. "Seriously? Why?"

"I don't know. I was just remembering being betrayed by the people of Corneria. An image of my parents flashed before my eyes, and that's all I could see of Falco: A traitor."

"How did you stop yourself?" Krystal asked.

"I just remembered what he did... how he saved me, and how I saved him... then I saw how calm he looked while he was sleeping, and I just... stopped."

Krystal laid her hand on Heather's shoulder. "You must feel pretty guilty about that."

Heather nodded slowly. "I'm in love with him. How could I have almost killed him?"

"We all do crazy and possibly stupid things we regret later," Krystal sympathized. "Just like what happened back there. I think as long as Falco doesn't find out about what happened, you'll be fine."

Heather smiled. "Thanks, Krystal."

The vixen grinned and stood up. "I'm off to bed. Goodnight, Heather!" Krystal headed for the door.

"Goodnight!" the ferret called after her. The door shut, and Heather listened as Krystal's footsteps echoed down the hall. Heather changed out of the dress and sandals and got into the pajamas she recieved from Krystal.

She turned the lights off and climbed into the bed. It was far more comfortable than the bed she used to sleep in, that was for sure.

Her thoughts were filled with what had happened that day. Joining the Starfox team, being introduced to everyone, making friends with Krystal. She sighed softly, and drifted off to sleep.

_This is my new life, and so far, it's going great._

* * *

**This was probably my favourite chapter to write (mostly because of the beginning), and I hope the next chapter is at least as long as this one. Stay tuned for Chapter 4 of Star Fox: Outlander!**


	4. Chapter 4

**YYYEEEEAAAHH! Finally uploaded! I got stuck in the middle of writing it, but I did it! I finally uploaded it! Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Star Fox: Outlander- Chapter 4**

Heather started on learning how to pilot the Arwing about a week after she had joined. She had nailed taking off and landing well, now she was trying techniques and shooting the lasers.

Not only was she learning how to pilot the Arwing, but she had also recieved her new uniform, which consisted of a black flight suit, a silver belt, the same hide vest she had worn on Titania, white and silver boots, and blue and silver flight goggles.

"Now to do a barrel roll, jerk the joystick twice to one side," Peppy instructed.

Heather did as she was told, flinching slightly as the Arwing responded.

"Well done!" the old rabbit praised. "There's a button on top of the joystick. Press it and you'll use your lasers."

Holographic enemies appeared in front of Heather's Arwing. She fired rapidly, shooting half of them down.

"I should probably work on my aim, huh?"

"It would be a good idea, but I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Now do a u-turn and land back here. To do a u-turn, jerk the joystick downwards twice."

Heather performed a u-turn, feeling amused at the sight of seeing the training facility upside-down, and landed the Arwing.

She opened the hatch and leapt out of the cockpit.

"How did I do?" she asked.

"You did well for piloting anything for the first time in ten years. You'll still have to practice, though."

"And the Arwing...?"

Peppy chuckled. "Yes, this Arwing is yours."

Heather smiled. "Thanks Peppy."

"Today the team will be out in the field, so you'll be staying behind."

Heather remembered they had arrived at Katina, and the team would be patrolling on foot for this mission.

"I'll get the infirmary prepared, just in case something happens," she declared.

"Sounds like a plan," Peppy replied.

Heather made her way to the infirmary. Falco insisted that he go on this mission, even though he was still recovering. Heather was reluctant at first, but she eventually caved in.

_It would do him good, _she told herself.

She stared at the container of pain relievers on the metal table. She was giving them to Falco since he complained about his arm hurting. He didn't tell her this, of course. Krystal read his mind and told Heather for him.

Heather noticed that the medications and medical instruments were disorganized. Several containers of pills were scattered on the floor, and rolls of gauze were unravelled and knotted.

_I can't stand it when everything is so messy and disorganized. I may as well clean up, since the team won't be back for a while. _

Heather sorted out the medications, placing pills and ointments on one shelf and serums and syringes on the other. The gauze took a while to untangle, but she eventually was able to put them back where they belong.

By the time she was finished cleaning, the team had returned.

Fox was helping Falco into the infirmary, supporting his one side.

"What happened now?" Heather demanded.

"Falco tripped. He was chasing enemy soldiers," Fox reported.

Heather motioned for Falco to lay down. When the avian did as she instructed, Heather became a bit miffed.

"I told you to be careful!" she said.

"You never told me to be careful!" Falco retorted.

"Well I should have," she snapped. "Because clearly you needed to be!"

Falco rolled his eyes. "You're overreacting. I'm fine."

Heather was about to make a stinging retort, when she realized there may have been a bit of truth in what he said.

She sighed. "I guess so. In any case, I'm still going to examine you."

"Fine by me."

Heather unwrapped the gauze, checking to see if Falco opened the wound. It was perfectly fine, but she changed the gauze anyway.

"I guess I was overreacting," Heather muttered, too quiet for Falco to hear. Still, she couldn't help feeling worried about him whenever he went out.

_I shouldn't worry about him, _Heather thought. _He's the ace pilot, for crying out loud! He'd be fine. _

"You should be fine now," she said.

"I know," he replied. "You and Fox were overreacting, that's all."

"I think I get that."

Heather made her way to the training room, since Peppy told her he was going to show her how to use a blaster.

Heather opened the door to the training room, where Peppy was already waiting for her.

"Hello, Heather!" he greeted. "Ready to start training?"

Heather nodded determinedly. "I can't wait to start."

Working a blaster was harder than Heather thought. She accidentally aimed it at herself once. Luckily, she didn't pull the trigger. It took her a while to be able to aim it properly, and it took about five minutes for her to be able to hit one of the targets.

"The blaster won't run out of ammo like other guns, but that doesn't mean you can simply fire it wherever and whenever you want to," Peppy instructed.

Heather laughed. "Has anyone ever done that before? Randomly firing the blaster wherever they want?"

"Not that I know of," he chuckled. "Even if someone did, it'd be as a joke."

Eventually, Heather was able to hit all five targets with ease and without assistance.

"You've done well," Peppy congratulated. "For a moment I thought you'd fail."

Heather rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

The two of them headed to the living room, where the rest of the team was gathered.

"Hey, Heather," Fox said. "How was training?"

"Hard," she replied. "I have terrible aim."

"I'm sure you'll get better," Krystal assured.

"Let's hope for the best," Heather sighed. She turned her attention to the TV. "What are you watching?"

"Something called Jersey Shore," Falco groaned. "It's supposed to be really popular on a planet called Earth."

"We'd watch something else, but _someone _forgot to get more channels," Fox jerked his head to glare at Slippy.

"Give me a break!" he protested. "I promise I'll get more channels when we get back to Corneria!"

"That's what you said when the toaster broke," Falco said.

Heather and Krystal giggled at the banter happening between the men. They did this often, Heather was told.

Peppy popped his head into the room.

"Katt's docking her ship," he informed. "She may want to see you, Falco."

"Alright." Falco got up slowly, as thought he didn't care someone were here to see him.

"Why don't you go with him, Heather?" Krystal said. "Katt's really nice. You'd like her."

"Fine by me," Falco said indifferently.

Heather got up and walked beside Falco to the docking bay. An unfamiliar ship waited.

A pink feline ran up to Falco, throwing her arms around his neck. Heather couldn't help but feel jealous.

"It's been so long, Falco!" she exclaimed.

Falco smiled, shrugging her off. "How've you been, Katt?"

The feline stepped back. "I've been doing great. I took your advice and left the Hot Rodders." She looked behind him, and narrowed her eyes. "Who's this?"

Falco stepped aside. "This is Heather. She's our medic and newest member."

The feline smiled, and held out her hand. "My name's Katt."

Heather took her hand and shook it. "It's great to meet you."

The three of them walked back down the hallway, Katt and Heather talking quietly amongst themselves. Katt apparently broke up with her boyfriend and had come back to see Falco.

"It's too bad to hear about your break-up," Heather said, feeling slightly jealous Katt once had been in a relationship.

"It's been hard," Katt admitted. "But Falco has always been here, and I've been looking around for odd-jobs."

"Have you had any luck?"

Katt shook her head. "I can't really find anything that I really like. I guess teaching students at the Cornerian Flight Academy would be an option, but I'm not one for putting up with teens."

When the threesome had finally made it to the living room, Fox, Slippy and Krystal were waiting for them.

"Hey, Katt," Fox greeted. "What do you need?"

"I just wanted to visit my favourite bird," Katt replied, glancing at Falco lovingly.

The team chatted with Katt, about what she had been doing in the year since they last saw each other. Heather also spoke, but she noticed whenever Falco talked to her, Katt would _glare _at her.

_I wonder why she's acting like this..._

Heather pushed the thought away. _Katt must just be stressed about her break-up, _she tried to convince herself.

Heather and Katt had some time alone, as the rest of the team went elsewhere.

"So how long have you been on the Star Fox team?" Katt asked suddenly.

Heather looked up. "Ever since I met Falco on Titania. He rescued me from a bunch of enemy fighters."

"Is that so?" Katt was silent for a moment, then she looked up again. Heather was surprised to see that her eyes were burning with anger.

"How long have you two been dating?"

Heather was taken aback. "What?"

"Don't lie to me," Katt hissed. "I can see the way you look at him. How long have you two been at it?"

Heather straightened up. "Katt, nothing's been going on between Falco and I. We're teammates that's all."

"Is that all? You just think of him as a _teammate_?"

Heather sighed. "Okay, maybe I do feel something more for him... but that's it, I tell you!"

"Sure it is," Katt said sarcastically. "You stay away from him, Heather. He's _mine_."

"Falco doesn't belong to anyone," Heather urged. "He never has, and he never will."

Katt completely ignored what Heather had said. "I've known him far longer than you have. You're just some chick he found on a deserted planet."

"I don't even know _why _Falco would ever fall in love with you anyway, because you sound kind of possessive to me. Almost like an overly attached girlfriend."

Katt narrowed her eyes. "I bet you've had s-"

"Okay, that's just going way too far!" Heather interrupted. "What the heck would make you jump to that conclusion?!"

"What's going on?!"

Katt and Heather spun around at the sound of Fox's voice, Falco and Krystal standing beside him.

"Falco, I thought you said you'd always fly solo!" Katt said, inching towards him. "You told me you'd never get a girlfriend!"

"Who said I had a girlfriend?" Falco demanded.

"While you were gone, Katt accused me of being your girlfriend," Heather replied calmly.

"Katt, she's not my girlfriend," Falco placed his hand on Katt's shoulder, who shrugged it off.

"You're lying to me," she snarled.

"Have I ever lied to you?" the avian asked.

"Yes," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. "Several times. I've been keeping count."

"Katt, she's not my girlfriend," he repeated, firmer this time. "Even if she were, why would it matter to you?"

"Because I _care _about you!" she shouted. "If you were in a relationship, you wouldn't be the same!"

Falco groaned. "Katt, just go."

Katt looked up, pain visible in her eyes. "What?"

"_Go_," he said. "You're acting like a little kid. Until you can be mature enough to talk to me, just go."

Katt stepped back, fury replacing the sadness in her eyes. "Fine. See if I care. I was right. You aren't the same Falco I used to know."

With a final glare at the entire team, especially Heather, she stormed away. Heather stared out the window as she saw Katt's ship fly away into space.

"I... I'm sorry," Heather said.

"It's not your fault, Heather," Krystal soothed. "Katt's just stressed out, that's all."

The ferret sighed sadly. She had her one chance to be friends with Katt, and she blew it.

"Come on," Krystal said. "Don't dwell on it for too long. She'll get over it."

Heather half-smiled. "I guess you're right."

She looked over at Falco, and she couldn't help but notice he was looking at them with a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

~o~o~o~o~

It had only been a month since Katt had that argument with Falco, and Fox had called the team down to the command room.

Heather ran in. "What's going on?"

"We're getting a message from Star Wolf," Falco replied.

Heather cocked her head. "Star _Wolf_?"

He nodded. "They're our rivals. The last time we saw them, it was during the Aparoid War, and now we know they're alive."

She was about to ask what he meant by that, when a face appeared on the transmission screen. A gray wolf, with a blue bionic eye, was smiling menacingly at them.

"Hello, team Star Fox," he greeted. His voice was coldly polite. "What a pleasure it is to see you again."

Arguing was heard in the backround. The wolf turned around. "Leon! Panther! Shut up! I'm talking here!"

"It's been a while, Wolf," Fox said.

_A wolf named Wolf? What are the odds..._

"I guess so, McCloud. I've come to issue a challenge."

Fox raised an eyebrow. "We don't take challenges here."

"Are you scared, pup?"

The vulpine frowned. "Not at all. Where shall we do battle?"

"Fichina. Remember during the Lylat Wars ten years ago? When we had our first fight?"

"It's hard to forget when you keep reminding me," Fox growled. "But we accept your challenge."

"Fox, you can't be serious," Peppy whispered. "Do you know how much danger you're putting yourself in?"

"Peppy, this could be our only chance to take down Star Wolf once and for all," he whispered back.

Peppy sighed. "You're just like your father."

Wolf smiled. "So it's settled. We'll meet you at Fichina-"

"Is Krystal there?" A hopeful voice sounded in the backround.

"Yes, Panther, but-"

"Can I just say hi to her?"

"What? No! Panther-"

"It'll just be for a second-"

The screen turned off.

"Well," Heather said. "That was an awkward way to end a conversation."

"Tell me about it," Krystal laughed.

Fox turned to his team. "Everyone get yourselves ready for the fight with Star Wolf. Heather, are you ready?"

She nodded.

"Alright. Everyone to the hangar immediately!"

They sprinted to the hanger, leaping into their Arwings. The hatch hissed shut, and engines hummed to life. Heather was shaking nervously, and she felt somewhat inexperienced surrounded by the rest of the team.

"Communications line, green," Fox reported.

"Don't get too cocky out there," Peppy advised. "Star Wolf is a strong group."

The lift lock was released.

"Is everyone ready?" Fox asked.

"Ready when you are!" Falco responded.

"Everything's good to go!" Slippy reported.

Krystal and Heather merely nodded.

"Alright. Star Fox team, move out!"

The ships blasted out of the hangar, flying towards the ice-cold planet of Fichina.

"So how does it feel to be flying in space, Heather?" Slippy asked.

"It feels strange," Heather replied. "I've flown on the other planets in the past month, but flying in space just makes me feel uncomfortable."

"You'll be fine," Krystal reassured her. "And Star Wolf isn't so bad."

"Compared to us, they're inexperienced," Falco stated proudly. "And we have them outnumbered."

"Even when he says that, we still have to be careful," Fox warned. "You're still a new member. Anyways, we're nearing Fichina. Adjust the G-Diffuser system."

Heather did as she was told, and the team entered the planets atmosphere. She couldn't help but take in a startled breath as flames blanketed the front of her Arwing.

As they cleared, she saw the frozen landscape that was Fichina. Snow was drifting down from the sky, creating a dream-like effect.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

"Yeah, and cold!" Falco remarked.

Heather squinted through the snow, and spotted three red ships in the distance.

"Is that...?"

"Yes," Fox answered. "That's Star Wolf."

The five Arwings hovered, and the Wolvens came closer.

"I thought you wouldn't show up, McCloud," Wolf said.

"Yes, you kept us waiting," an unfamiliar lizard sneered.

_That's Leon_, Krystal's voice echoed in Heather's mind.

"We meet again, Krystal my dear," Panther purred. "Now who's this lovely little lady we have here?"

The vixen rolled her eyes. "That's Heather. She's our newest member."

Wolf laughed. "Oh, so you think you have us beaten, Star Fox?"

"We know we have you beaten," Falco said.

The lupine grinned. "I'll have you know, we have a new member as well."

The whole team stared in shock. Fox broke the silence.

"And who might that be?"

Another ship appeared behind the Wolvens. It wasn't actually a Wolven at all, but Heather couldn't help but feel she had seen it before...

"Hello, Heather," a feminine voice sounded over the communicator. "We meet again."

"It can't be..." Krystal's voice trailed off in disbelief.

"I think it is!" Heather gasped.

It was Katt. And she had joined Star Wolf.

* * *

***gets pelted with muffins***

**Oh come on! This chapter can't have been that bad! And to answer some questions...**

**NO, I do not have a problem with the FalcoxKatt pairing. It's one of my favourites. **

**NO, Falco and Heather will NOT be getting into a relationship any time soon. **

**And the reason I decided to have Katt join Star Wolf... well let's face it: There are quite a few PantherxKatt shippers out there. I have seen them. They may not post here, but they're out there. I just wanted to make them happy. **

**And I gave you all a cliffhanger. How cruel am I? XD**

**So stick around and stay tuned for Star Fox: Outlander, Chapter 5! (Which will probably be the last chapter!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**And so, the final chapter. Please enjoy! **

* * *

**Star Fox: Outlander- Chapter 5**

Falco's eyes widened. "K-Katt? What are you doing on Star Wolf?"

Katt's blue eyes pierced through him. "I thought it was obvious. You left me to wander the galaxy alone for that stupid ferret."

Heather's ears pricked. She narrowed her eyes. "Did you just call me stupid?"

Katt completely ignored her. "So I wandered alone for a while, when I came across Panther." She gazed lovingly at him. "He took me to Wolf, and they let me join."

"It's not nice to leave such a beautiful lady behind, bird," Panther hissed. "You must be a monster."

Falco gritted his teeth. "I'll make you eat those words."

"As for you, Heather," Katt turned her attention to the ferret. "I'll make you regret stealing Falco away from me."

"I won't regret anything," Heather snarled.

_Be careful, Heather, _Krystal's voice echoed in her mind. _Katt is a very skilled pilot, and you're new to this. _

Wolf groaned. "Enough chitchat. Let's just start this battle already!"

The ships sped after each other, Wolf following Fox, Leon following Slippy (I wonder how this happened?), Panther following Falco, and, of course, Katt following Heather.

Krystal wasn't lying when she said Katt was skilled; The feline was able to copy every maneuver, every attack.

_Good God, she's fantastic! _Heather thought ruefully. She shook the thought away. If she got distracted now, she'd be killed within seconds. She then peered down to the snow-coated hills.

_If I can swerve around those long enough, I might be able to shake her. _

She smiled at the thought, and dove down to the ground.

~o~o~o~o~

Krystal flew after the others, unsure of who to help. They all seemed to be faring well, except for Heather.

"Do you need any help, Heather?" Krystal asked into the communicator.

"Nope!" Heather's voice crackled on the other line. "I'm going to be fine!"

Krystal rolled her eyes. She didn't believe that for a second. She turned her attention towards Slippy, who was getting beaten to a pulp. She sped towards him, firing her lasers at Leon's ship.

"Thanks, Krystal!" Slippy exclaimed. "I thought I was a goner!"

"You will be if you don't start paying attention!" the vixen warned, taking note of Leon, who still hadn't given up. "Quick! Try a somersault!"

"Hey!" Peppy's voice sounded over the communicator. "That's _my _line!"

"It's about time you showed up!" Fox said.

"Never mind my late entrance. I'd be more worried about Wolf!"

The lupine was hot on Fox's heels, shooting like mad.

"Do a barrel roll!" Peppy shouted.

Everyone stared in shock.

"I haven't heard that line in a while," Slippy joked.

His happy tone soon turned to that of fear, when Leon shot off one of his wings.

"It's the end of the line for you, frog!" he hissed, not letting up.

The other wing was soon gone, and Slippy boosted towards the Great Fox.

"Sorry guys! I don't think I can take it anymore! Blast 'em to bits for me!"

Krystal turned her attention towards Leon, who appeared to have enjoyed taking Slippy down.

_Although you can't blame him, _Krystal thought ruefully. _There are probably _tons _of people out there that hate Slippy enough to actually try to shoot him down. _

Krystal sped after the maniacal lizard, trying to aim for his wings. He was good, that's for sure, as he was moving around so much it was harder to aim than ever.

The vixen finally got a lock on him, and fired a charged shot. She was taken by surprise that it didn't do much.

Leon laughed. "Silly girl! Did you really think that would be enough to take _me _down?"

Krystal gritted her teeth. "You're really asking for it now!"

"Careful, Krystal!" Peppy said. "The Wolfens won't take much damage from Smart Bombs and charged lasers!"

Krystal nodded, and instead fired multiple laser shots.

Leon somersaulted over her head, beginning to shoot at her now.

She boosted, trying to shake him, but to no avail.

"Just do a somersault like he did!" Falco yelled. "It's not that hard!"

She did as Falco told her, abeit reluctantly, and found herself back in control.

She fired multiple shots once again, finally shooting off both of his wings.

"This can't be...!" He exclaimed as his ship spiraled towards the ground.

She scanned his mind, searching for any indication that he was still alive, finding herself to be somewhat relieved that he had ejected in time.

"Hey Krystal! Now that you're finished shooting down that reptilian moron, why not help me out here?"

Falco's ship sped past hers, with Panther following closely behind.

"My dear Krystal wouldn't harm me," Panther purred. "I know that deep down she shares my feelings."

Krystal frowned. "You can't take rejection well, it seems."

The cat smiled. "Oh don't worry. I know you'll come around some day."

"Oh, is that so?" Krystal said, trying to sound as flattered as possible, while at the same time sending a thought towards Falco. _Get behind him, with me. _

The avian took note of this, doing a somersault and flying beside Krystal.

Panther grinned. "What did I tell you? You can't resist me."

"Oh you're so right," Krystal laughed. "And I have just the perfect gift for you."

His eyebrows raised. "What might that be?"

"Two pilots shooting at you at the same time, of course!" Krystal and Falco shot the Wolfen together.

"But how?!" Panther yelled. "How was I able to be taken down...?"

His ship spiraled toward the ground, with him ejecting.

Falco turned to her. "Nice work back there. Although I hate to admit it, you might be a better pilot than I am. Of course, we all know that isn't true."

Krystal rolled her eyes. "Putting your big ego aside, we should probably help Fox."

"Don't worry about me!" the vulpine's voice sounded over the communicator. "I can take Wolf down by myself! You should be worried about Heather!"

"You know you can't me down, pup," Wolf growled. "We all know I am the better pilot."

"Yeah, keep believing that, Wolf," Fox said sarcastically. "Falco and Krystal! Go after Katt and Heather!"

Krystal sighed worriedly, hoping he was right when he said he'd be fine, and sped after the Cat's Paw in the distance.

~o~o~o~o~

_Why did I ever think I could take her on my own?!_

Heather swerved out of the way of Katt's shots.

_Why didn't I just stay on the Great Fox? Why am so stupid to think I'm a good pilot? Katt was right, I do regret this! _

"You're going down, you disgusting rat!"

"I am not a rat!" Heather protested.

"You sure look like one!" Katt hissed. "You know what else you look like?"

Heather turned the communicator off to avoid listening to Katt's colourful name-calling. She instead focused on trying to remember how to do a somersault.

_Why is it that I can remember how to do them so well in training, but I forget how to do them now?!_

She racked her brain trying to remember what Peppy told her.

_Come on! Think! When was the last time he told you how to do one?!_

_Jerk the joystick forward twice to perfom a somersault. _

Heather felt relieved at the sound of Krystal's voice, and did as she said. Turning the communicator back on, she heard Katt snarl.

"Katt, for the last time, there is nothing going on between Falco and I!" Heather said, shooting at Katt a few times.

_Although I wish there were. _

"I don't care about that right now!" Katt had somehow found a way to get behind Heather again. "It's your fault that he hates me now!"

"Katt calm down!" Falco shouted. "It isn't anyone's fault!"

The feline suddenly looked at him with sadness. "Falco... I thought you loved me. I thought you actually cared about me. Why did you change all of a sudden?"

Falco's jaw tightened. "I _do _care about you Katt, but-"

"If you really cared about me," she interrupted. "You'd help _me _take down Heather."

Heather couldn't believe her ears. Did Katt actually just suggest to Falco that he shoot her down?

Falco looked taken aback. "W-What?"

"If you help me take down that _rat _over there," Katt purred. "Then I'll forgive you. In fact, I'll even suggest to Wolf that you join us."

_She's trying to wrap him around her finger! _Heather realized, but then relaxed. _Falco wouldn't shoot me down. He's my teammate. _

But to her surprise, Falco looked as though he didn't know what to do. He had two choices: help the girl who saved him on Titania, the same girl he saved, or help the girl he had known for years, who was always like a sister to him.

Katt took this time to shoot Heather's right wing off.

"I've already got you started," Katt said. "Now you can finish her off."

"Katt, in the short time I've known you, I never knew you could be so cruel," Krystal gasped.

"Heather took the only man I loved away from me. _She deserves this_."

Heather's breathing quickened, and she somersaulted again, firing multiple times at Katt.

Falco was still silent, looking back and forth from Katt to Heather.

"Well, Falco?" Katt said. "Have you made your decision yet?"

The avian looked down, unsure of what to do.

"Listen to me, Falco!" Krystal spoke up. "Think about it: You have two girls here that you care for, but you can only save one. How about instead of thinking about how long you've known them, but instead think about how they treated you!"

Katt smirked. "I've treated him very well, Krystal. I think we all know who he's going to save."

"Yes," Falco finally spoke. "I think we do."

Heather's eyes widened in horror as Falco turned to her.

"Heather, I'm sorry about this, but..."

He then shot at Katt, much to everyone's surprise.

"I had to shoot down your first enemy. Terribly sorry."

Katt's ship flew down towards the ground.

"But Falco... why?" Katt's voice sounded, indicating she was still alive. "I thought we were friends..."

"We are friends, Katt," Falco said. "I hate to admit it, but Heather actually saved _me_, as opposed to me constantly having to save her. Unless you haven't noticed, I've been having to bail you out of the fire several times. Besides, she's my teammate now. I can't really shoot down any of them, even if one of them is Slippy."

"Falco, you really are a softie on the inside, aren't you?" Heather teased.

Falco turned to glare at her. "I'll have you know I would've done the same thing for anyone else."

Heather was about to deny his protest, when she heard Krystal's voice in her head.

_He's being serious you know. He's never been interested in girls. _

Heather raised her eyebrows. _So he's a homosexual?_

Krystal shook her head. _No one really knows whether he's homosexual or heterosexual. Either way, he's not interested in romance. _

Heather felt disappointed to hear this, but then she sighed. _I can always dream, though. _

Krystal rolled her eyes. _I can just tell you won't give up until he's yours. _

Katt's voiced buzzed over the communicator. "Don't think this is over yet! I _will _defeat you, and when I do, Falco will be _mine_."

Katt signed off, and Heather turned to Falco.

"Thank you," she said.

Falco smirked. "Like I said, I'd do the same for anyone else."

Fox appeared next to Falco. "Wolf has been taken down. Did you get Katt?"

When the rest of the team nodded, Wolf's voice was heard.

"You beat us this time, team Star Fox. But next time you won't be so lucky. We _will _take you down one day."

When Wolf signed off, the team headed back to the Great Fox, ready to celebrate their victory.

~o~o~o~o~

Heather threw herself onto her bed, feeling drowsy after the feast they had in celebration of defeating Star Wolf.

She was about to go to sleep, when a knock sounded on her door.

"Come in."

Slippy opened the door, peeking inside. "We're having a movie night. Do you want to join in?"

Heather shrugged. "Alright."

She followed Slippy into the living room, where the rest of the team was assembled.

"What movie are we watching?" Heather asked.

"It's a movie that's very popular on a planet called Earth," Fox replied. "It's called the Hunger Games. Peppy said he got it from a guy in an alley who sold it to him for ten dollars."

"What's it about?"

"It's about these creatures called humans who send a boy and a girl aged twelve to eighteen into an event in which they fight to the death, until one is left standing," Krystal explained.

Heather's eyes widened. "That sounds so barbaric!"

Falco tilted his head to the side. "Are you going to stay and watch?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

She sat beside Falco throughout the movie, trying not to make her blushing obvious. Krystal had fallen asleep in Fox's arms, who was also dozing off. Slippy, on the other hand, had left the room as soon as the first character died.

"These humans look really weird," Heather commented quietly.

"You're telling me," Falco replied. "They make me think of Andrew Oikonny."

Heather remembered that Andrew had once been a part of Star Wolf, before he left and started a rebellion, and soon died after an Aparoid shot his ship.

"I know I've already said this enough, Falco, but... thanks for saving me from Katt."

Falco grunted. "Once again, I would do the same for anyone else."

"Were you... honestly thinking about shooting me down back there?" she asked, somewhat afraid to know the answer.

"Yes," Falco admitted. "Katt and I have always been like brother and sister to each other, not to mention the fact that we've known each other for such a long time. You, on the other hand, I have just met. We've only known each other for a month.

"But when I thought about how you two treated me, I decided that it was you who actually goes to the trouble of saving _me_, which is something Katt hasn't done for several years. I mean, sure, I rarely ever need, much less _want_, any help, but if you hadn't shown up I'd be dead by now."

"So you chose to save me over Katt," Heather concluded.

Falco nodded. "She's really a nice girl, but... I think she just gets a little bit overprotective."

"A _little_?"

"It could've been worse," the avian pointed out. "She could have threatened to tie you to the railroad tracks on Macbeth."

"That's true," Heather said.

They sat in silence for a moment, and Heather turned back to him. "I want to thank you for something else."

He turned to face her, amusement in his eyes. "For not shooting you down?"

The ferret laughed. "No. For bringing me here, to the Star Fox team. If it weren't for you, I'd still be stuck on that hellhole that is Titania."

Falco looked as though he were about to make a sarcastic response, but he sighed. "You're welcome, I guess."

The two of them sat side by side, watching the rest of the movie together in the calm silence. In friendship.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of that fanfic! If you have stuck to this story from the very beginning, then seriously, review it. It's gotten over 200 views and it only has 2 reviews. I'm not trying to sound ungrateful or anything (heck I'm quite happy that people actually take the time to read it), so please don't take this the wrong way. **

**And I am SO SO SO sorry I made Heather seem like a Mary-Sue in the end! It's honestly killing me .**

**But if I do end up making a sequel to this, I'll probably build up her character and relationships with the other characters more. **

**So please, please, PLEASE review. I honestly want to know how I did. **

**That is all. Bye! And thanks for reading!**


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